Veteran & Business Service Announces Launch of Crowdfunding Campaign

TACOMA, Wash. – The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber’s Veteran & Business Service, which promotes to businesses the Veteran Advantage for transitioning and separating service veterans to entrepreneurship, professional careers and apprenticeship opportunities, has launched a crowdfunding campaign.

The crowdfunding campaign, housed at RepayVets.com, (http://repayvets.com/campaigns/veteran-business-service ), went live on Monday, September 29, 2014 with a scheduled end of Monday, November 3, 2014. The funding will go towards retaining both staff service providers for the Veteran & Business Service.

The U.S. Department of Labor has reduced funding to the Veteran & Business Service’s current funding sources, the local workforce development councils, which in turn has impacted the Veteran & Business Service resources.

Due to the reduced funding support, the Service has had to pare back expenses by 53% from last year’s budget, making it unsustainable to continue providing the high service levels that come from both staff service providers.

The Repayvets.com Veteran & Business Service campaign contributions will help the Service, honored as a “Chamber of Valor” program (three stars, the highest level) by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, continue with its two current Service providers, Greg Mowat and Terrence Hodge, veterans themselves, who are qualified, skilled and passionate about their services. Their jobs promoting the Veteran Advantage to businesses will otherwise be at risk and could affect an already declining service market.

“What we are trying to accomplish is to match great vets to great careers with great employers,” Mowat said. “We hope the community realizes the benefit this service will provide to our vets and contribute!”

“Our business community is rooted in great leadership; character and selfless service—all the ingredients that also make up our veteran community. These qualities also represent an excellent employee. In this role with the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber we are able to connect quality veteran leaders with excellent companies, “ Hodge said.

With the reductions in force currently underway at JBLM, nearly 400 service members monthly desiring to have jobs in our community, will have less help doing so. The proposed reduction of up to 16,000 civilian (many vets) and military jobs at JBLM over the next five years will put increasing pressure on the local ability to help these service members.

Ways to support the campaign: Donate; help get the word out by sharing the campaign link with friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social media and encourage them to donate and share; send an email with the link to friends and encourage them to donate and share and finally to share this campaign with others in the community, encouraging them to donate and share.

Funds raised as of October 2, 2014: $650.